Foldable spectacles



Jan. 9, 1951 s. VIGANC' FOLDABLE SPIECTACLES Filed March 12, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR/ Q. VE'ga z 0 BY ATTORNEY- Jan. 9, 1951 .avlsma 2,537,248

FOLDABLE SPECTACLES Filed March 12, 1947 2 Shet s-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT DFHCE Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires October 2, 1965 (Cl. SS -41) 2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a construction of'eye glass frames and the connected shafts, which construction provides for the frames and shaft to be folded into compact relationship when the eye glasses are not in use.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination hinge and slidable joint arrangement between the two complementary halves of eye glass frames whereby the halves may be interfolded in nested relationship when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel hinge structure medially of each of the shafts on the eye glass frames so that the shafts may be folded both on each other and on the nested halves of the frame when the eye glasses are not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel combination hinge and slidable joint arrangement between the shafts and the comple mentary halves of the eye glass frame whereby the convex shaft outline may be positioned with-' in the concave outline of the frame when the eye glasses are not in use.

Still other objects, advantages and improvements will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the ac companying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation view, partly in section along the line I-l of Figure 2, of the foldable eye glass frame according to the present invention; I

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of one of the complementary halves of the eye glass frames show ng the novel hinged construction of the Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional through the bridge of the eye glass frame, this view being taken along the line A--D of Figure l,

and showing in particular the slidable joint;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing one of the complementary halves of the frame rotated through 180 degrees with respect to the other;

Figure 5 is a side elevation view showing the complementary halves of the eye glass frame and the shafts all folded. into compact relationship;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the complementary halves of the eye glass frame and the shafts folded into compact relationship, as shown in Fi ure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevation view showing the novel hinge and joint arrangement between the shafts and the complementary halves of the eye glass frames;

2 Figure 8 is an end elevation view of the hinge and joint arrangement shown in Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a top plan view showing the shafts folded with their convex outlines within the concave outlines of the two halves of the eye :"glass frame.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and to Figure 1 in particular, the complementary halves of the frame are designated at l and 2, these having suitable lenses therein. The shafts 8-8 are pivotally connected to the respective halves *of the frame by hinges I l-l I in the usual man- As shown in Figure 3, this joint is comprised by mentary trough shaped notch in the edge of double wedge on the bridge 5 and a comple the frame half 2. -A rod 1 is first fitted into a suitable hold medially of the thickness of the bridge 5 and freely extends into a suitable registerihg hole in the frame half 2. A coil spring 6: surrounds the rod I and at one end passes through a suitable diametrical hole in the latter and at the other end is secured to a pin IQposidope diametrically of the hole in the frame lf? With the construction above described the complementary halves I and 2 of the frame may b e pulled apart tensioning the coil spring 5 31 the wedge surfaces on the bridge 5 are clear of the trough in the edge of the frame half 2. jlhen theframe half 2 can be rotated through 180 degres with regard to the frame half I. to the posij tion shown in Figure 4, and the two frame'halves "allowed to snap together under the action of the coil spring 6. Either wedge surface on the frame half will then abut the opposite inclined wall in the trough in the edge of the frame half 2. From the position shown in Figure 4 the frame half 2 may be folded over whereby its convex face will nest within the concave face of the frame half I as shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 2 each shaft is formed in two halves connected by a hinge II], which hinge is positioned at right angles to the hinge II connecting the shaft section 8 to the frame half I.

Each stem half 8 or 9 is folded with the concave teach other and the concave surfaces of the 'ne'sted frame halves I-2. This final folded 3 position of the parts is preferable for reduction of total volume of the glasses.

It is noted that the end 9' of each half stem section 9 is slightly curved with respect to the main body thereof to better adapt the glasses to the head of the wearer.

According to the arrangement shown in Figures '7, 8 and 9, the shafts 8 are secured to the frame halves by the combined hinge and slidable joint as shown on the bridge 5 in Figure l. A block I 5 is pivotally attached to each frame half I and 2 by a hinge ID. The block I5 has a trough shaped edge [4, similar to the edge on the frame half 2, and the shaft 8 has a complementary double wedge thereon, similar to the double wedge on the bridge 5 of Figure 3. A pin I2 is force fitted in a suitable hole positioned at the mid-thickness of the block I5 and extends into an elongated slot to the shaft 8. A coil spring I! is positioned in the slot i8 surrounding the pin l2 and at one end abuts a nut or collar 20 on the pin and at the other end abuts a nut or collar 20 on the pin.

With the above described construction each shaft 8 may be pulled outwardly against the force of the coil spring I], from the frame half I or 2 until the double wedge surfaces on the shaft are clear of the trough shaped edge on the block l5, the shaft rotated through 180 and allowed to again move into abutting engagement with the block I 5, each wedge surface on the stem 8 then abutting the opposite face of the trough shaped edge on the block l5. The shafts 8 may be then swung through the hinges It to the position shown in Figure 9 wherein the con- 2 vex sides of the shafts rest within the convex outlines of the frame l2.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mount for folding spectacles, the combination with a pair of lens frames, a bridge element intermediate said lens frames, a hinge intermediate and connecting one lens frame to the bridge element and pivoting along an approximately vertical axis, said bridge element being formed with a double bevel on the edge opposite the hinge, said second lens frame having a complementary bevelled surface along the edge abutting the bridge elements, a pin disposed in the bridge element along a horizontal and approximately central axis disposed in the general plane of the lens frames and extending from the apex of the bevel on the bridge element and having an enlarged head, said second lens frame having a bore extending inwardly from the apex of the double bevelled edge disposed along the horizontal and approximately central axis of the lens frames and receiving the pin and its enlarged head and a spring surrounding said pin and secured at one end to the bridge element and at the other to the enlarged head of the pin, said spring permitting limited slidable movement of the second lens frame along the pin with respect to the first to free its complementary bevelled edges and provide for rotation of the second lens frame with respect to the first lens frame and bridge element.

2. In a mount for folding spectacles, the combination with a pair of lens frames, a bridge element intermediate said lens frames, a hinge intermediate and connecting one lens frame to the bridge element and pivoting along an approximately vertical axis, said bridge element being formed with a double bevel on the edge opposite the hinge, said second lens frame having a complementary double bevelled surface along the edge abutting the bridge element, a pin disposed on the bridge element along a horizontal and approximately central axis and in the general plane of the lens frames and extending from the apex of the bevel on the bridge element and having an enlarged head, said second lens frames having a bore extending inwardly from the apex of the double bevelled edge disposed along the horizontal and approximately central axis of the lens frames and receiving the pin and the enlarged head of the pin, said spring limiting relative slidable movement of the second lens frame along the pin, and. holding the second lens frame in contact with the bridge element in the operative position and also in a second position displaced 180 therefrom, a pair of stems each formed in two parts, hinges securing the stems to the outer upper ends of the lens frames, additional hinges in the stems at approximately their mid-sections, and means incorporated in said latter hinges for holding both parts of said stem aligned in the operative position, the free ends of said stem being contoured to suit the wearers head shape.

GIANNI VIGANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 807,844 Mirovitch Dec. 19, 1905 2,065,122 Diggins Dec. 22, 1936 2,275,999 Strauss Mar. 10, 1944 

